Parachute and safety seat belt buckle



June 21, 1960 E. J. BOURGUIGNON 2,941,272

PARACHUTE AND SAFETY SEAT BELT BUCKLE Filed Oct. a, 1958 IMI INVENTOR 42Emil Joseph Bourguignon ATTORNEY United States Patent PARACHUTE ANDSAFETY SEAT BELT BUCKLE Emil J. Bourguignon, 54 Clinton Ave.,Farmingdale, N.Y.

Filed Oct. 8, 1958, Ser. No; 766,093

10 Claims. (Cl. 24-230) My invention relates to improvements in safetybuckles for use on parachute harnesses and on safety belts forautomobiles, aircraft and other vehicles.

The primary object of theinvention is to provide a safety buckle forattachment to the respective ends of a belt or parachute harness andwhich is easy to operate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a twopart safety buckle,the parts of which may be latched to each other when the parts arereversed with respect to each other.

A further object of my invention is to provide a twopart safety buckleconstruction in which the parts are automatically latched to each otherwhen they are brought together.

Another object of my invention is to provide a safety buckle of ruggedconstruction adapted to safely support the weight of any wearer, evenunder acceleration or impact.

In general, my improved safety buckle is a two-part device, eachincluding elongated loops or slots for attachment to the free ends of asafety belt or parachute harness. One of these parts comprises a mainlatch frame or body section, including a pair of similar spring-biasedlatches, while the other part comprises a catch frame including a pairof elongated prongs provided with catch shoulders, the prongs beingoppositely oriented and adapted to actuate the latches when insertedinto the latch frame.

The two latches in the main frame are of like construction, but arearranged upside down with respect to each other in the frame, so thateach may be actuated by either of the prongs. The wearer, therefore, mayeffect engagement of the parts of the buckle without regard to theorientation of one part with respect to the other. The wearer is,therefore, able to quickly latch the buckle in case of emergency.

The preferred form of construction of my improved safety buckle isdescribed more in detail hereinafter in connection with the accompanyingsheet of drawings forming a part of this application.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of theinvention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved safety buckle with the two partscoupled together;

Fig. 2 is an expanded view of the buckle shown in Fig. 1 with the coverplate removed from the latch frame and showing the arrangement of thelatches;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the buckle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the body of the latch frame of the buckle withthe cover plate and latches removed;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the main frame as shown in Fig. 4, looking fromthe right;

Fig. 6 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of one of the latches shownin Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an inside elevational view of the latch shown in Fig. 6;

2,941,272 Patented June 21, 1960 Fig. 8 is a view, partly in section,taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the prong-carrying catch frame ofthe buckle shown at the right in Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the improvedsafety bucklecomprises a latch frame 10 and a catch frame 12, each provided with anelongated slot 14 for receiving the respective free ends of asafetyvbelt or parachute harness belt, which are secured to the parts ofthe buckle in a known manner. The latch frame 10 includes a pair ofsimilar latches 16 mounted in the body of the frame under a cover plate.18 secured to the body of the frame by rivets 20. The latches 16 aresl-idably mounted in the latch frame upside down with respect to eachother, as shown in Fig. 2, the latches 16 being biased away from eachother and into latching position by means of a pair of springs 22, theends of which are mounted in seating bores 24 on the inside face of eachlatch and shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The latch frame 10, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, includes a flat web 25and is provided with front posts 26 and rear posts 2 8, on which thecover plate 18 rests. Each latch includes an outer portion operatingbetween posts 26 and 28 and stop projections 30, which engage the postsat the respective sides of the buckle when the latches are in latchingposition. The latch frame 10 also includes a front wall section 32extending from the web 25 to the level of the posts 26 and 28, andspaced from the posts 26 to provide intermediate openings 34 through;which the prongs of the catch frame are inserted intothe latch frame.The latch frame toward the back also includes vertical recesses 36,opposite the openings 34, in which the stops 30 operate and which alsoreceive the respective end portions of the prongs of the catch frame.The recesses 36 are in line with the openings 34.

The web 25 of the latch frame 10 is provided with arcuate indentations38 respectively at its opposite sides at the position of the latches 16,Fig. 4, and the cover plate 18 is provided with matching arcuateindentations 40, Fig. 1. The body of the frame 10, as shown in Fig. 4,is a single piece of metal.

The catch frame 12 is a single piece of metal and includes two similarspaced parallel elongated prongs 42 spaced to enter the openings 34 inthe latch frame. Each of these prongs in plan has rounded ends, as shownin Fig. 2 and is cut away in the manner shown in Fig. 9 to provide along transverse recess 44 leaving a catch block 45 having a shoulder 46.The two prongs 42 are upside down with respect to each other, so thatthe recesses 44 and catch shoulders 46 face in opposite directions withrespect to a plane extending through the two prongs. The catch blocks 45at the outer ends of the prongs beyond the catch shoulder 46 are cutaway, so that the prong is not as deep at the free end as it is at thebase, as shown in Fig. 9. The prongs are oblong in cross-section.

The latches 16 are constructed in such a manner as to cooperate with theparticular shape of the catch prongs. In general, each latch 16 is achannel-shaped structure with the channel extending end to end, as shownin Figs. 6 and 8. The channel'comprises a web 48, from which the stopprojections 30 extend. The channel in-,

cludes the inside wall 50, which receives the ends of the springs 22-,and the relatively thicker outside wall,

52, which normally extends to the side of the buckle,

s 3 a Sh ul er. 58-..-T l v t po on. o atch b ock 54 is located towardthe inside of the latch. Both of the latches 16 are one piece andconstructed alike, but as shown in Fig. 2, one is placed upside downwith respect to the other. I V

In the operation of the safety buckle, the latch frame and catch frame12in the relative positions shown in Fig. are moved toward each other,so that. prongs 42 enter through the openings 34. As the rounded end ofeach prong engages the sloping surface 56, it retracts the latch 16 andkeeps it retracted until the end of the prong enters the recess 36 andthe catch block 45 with its shoulder 46, is back of the shoulder 58 ofthe latch block 54, whereupon the latch snaps back to the closedposition shown in Fig. 2 with the shoulder 46 caught in back of theshoulder 58 of the latch block 54. As the latch 16 snaps to its latchingposition, the elevated portion or latch block 54- moves into the recess44 in the prong 4-2. This recess or cut-out portion 44 in the prong 42is longer than the latch block 54.

The catch frame 12 is released from the latch frame 10 by pressing in onboth of the latches 16 with the thumb and forefinger at the position ofthe arcuate indentations 38 and 40. This operation removes the latchblocks 54 entirely out of the recesses 44 in the prongs 42. Since thelatches 16 are upside down with respect to each other, the catch frame12 may be engaged either side up beacuse the prongs 42 are also upsidedown with respect to each other. The depth of the free ends of theprongs is such that they slidably fit between the surfaces of the web 48and the web 25, or cover plate 18-. The depth of each prong at its baseis such that it slidably fits between the surfaces of the cover plate 18and the bottom of the openings 34 plane with the web 25.

The latches 16 are block type units arranged so that the bottom of theweb 48 is slidable along either under the cover plate 18 or on thesurface of web 25 of the latch frame 10. The back and front walls 50 and52 have surfaces parallel to the outer surface of the Web 43, so thatthey are slidable along either under the cover plate 18 or along theplane surface of the bottom web 25 of the latch frame 10. The mechanismof the buckle, therefore, functions precisely, the prongs 42 beingfirmly held in latched position against any strain by the latch blocks54, with the latches supported by the corner posts 26 and the centermember 32. The arrangement is such that the forward portions of eachlatch are always in engagement with a post 26 and the center member 32.A rugged structure is, therefore, provided which is adapted to withstandthe shocks and stresses normally received by parachute harnesses andsafety seat belts. At the same time, the buckle is easy to latch andunlatch quickly.

What I claim is:

l. A safety buckle for safety seat belts and parachute harnessescomprising a latch frame and a catch frame, a pairof similar latchesslidable bodily in the latch frame upside down with respect to eachother and spring biased outwardly in the latch frame to latchingposition, the catch frame including a pair of spaced catch prongs eachhaving a recess forming a catch shoulder adjacent the free end of theprong, said prongs being upside down with respect to each other sothatthe catch shoulders face in opposite directions with respect to acommon plane extending longitudinally through the two prongs, the latchframe having openings for receiving the prongs, each latch includingmeans actuated by a prong for effecting retraction of the latch bodilyin the latch frame, and a shoulder on the latch for engaging the catchshoulder on the prong when the prongs of the catch frame are fullyinsertedin the latch frame and the latches are in latching position.

I 2; A safety buckle as claimed in claim -1, in which the latchescomprise block type structures slidable bodily in the latchframetowardand away from each other.

., 3. A-sa'fety buckle acclaimed in claim 1, in which vet ic t h lu s al t h I I block forming the shoulder on the latch and adapted to enterthe recess in a prong.

4. A safety buckle for safety seat belts and parachute harnessescomprising a latch frame and a catch frame, a pair of similar latchesslidable bodily toward and away from each other in the latch frameinverted with respect to each other and spring biased for movementbodily outwardly toward the respective sides of the latch frame tolatching position, the catch frame including a pair of spaced catchprongs each having a catch block at its free end presenting a catchshoulder adjacent the free end of the prong, said prongs being invertedwith respect to each other so that the catch blocks face in oppositedirections with respect to a common plane extending longitudinallythrough the prongs, the latch frame having a pair of openings at one endfor receiving the prongs, each latch including a beveled surfaceengageable by a prong for effecting bodily retraction of the latch inthe latch frame, and a latch block on the latch providing a shoulder forengaging the catch shoulder on the prong when the prongs of the catchframe are fully inserted in the latch frame and the latches are inlatching position. I

5. A safety buckle as claimed in claim 4, in which each latch comprisesa channel member arranged lengthwise in the latch frame,said latch blockbeing located in the channel of the latch and comprising an elevatedportion with respect to the bottom web of the channel-shaped latch.

6. A safety buckle as claimed in claim 5, in which said elevated portionis located toward the inside of the channel member and is beveled on itsfront end with the beveled surface sloping outwardly toward the back endof the channel member, the latch shoulder being located at the back endof said, elevated portion.

7. A safety buckle as claimed in claim 4, in which each prong is oblongin cross section and the catch block thereof constitutes an elevatedblock-shaped portion on one of its edges, the widest dimension of theprong extending in a direction at right angles to a common planeextending longitudinally through the prongs of the catch frame.

8. A safety buckle as claimed in claim 4, in which the latches arearranged side by side in the latch frame, spring means located betweenthe latches and biasing them away from each other, and stops on each endof each latch for limiting the movement of the latches in the directionaway from each other, said latches being accessible fromoutside thelatch frame for movement toward each other for unlatching the buckle.

9. A safety buckle for safety seat belts, parachute harnesses and thelike comprising a latch frame and a catch frame, the latch framecomprising a flat bottom web, a back portion extending upwardlytherefrom, front corner posts and a front wall spaced with respect tothe posts, a pair of similar latches slidable bodily toward and awayfrom each other transversely on the bottom web of the latch frame, saidlatches being upside down with respect to each other and spring biasedfor movement bodily outwardly toward the respective sides of the latchframe to latching position, the catch frame including a pair of spacedcatch prongs each having a catch block at its free end presenting acatch shoulder adjacent the free, end of the prong, said prongs beinginverted with respect to each other so that the catch blocks face inopposite directions with respect to a common plane extendinglongitudinally through the prongs, a cover plate attached to the top ofthe posts and to the top of the backportion of the latch frame, thelatch frame having a pair of front openings provided by the respectivespaces between the front posts and front wall of the latch frame forreceiving the prongs, each latch including a beveled surface at thefront engageable by a prong for effecting bodily retraction of the latchin the latch frame, and a latch block on, each latch providing ashoulder for engaging the catch shoulder on the prong when the prongs ofthe catch frame are fully inserted in the latch frame and the latchesare in latching position.

10. A safety buckle as claimed in claim 9, in which each latch comprisesa block-like channel structure arranged in the latch frame with thechannel extending from front to back and embracing one of said frontopenings in the latch frame for receiving a prong, the latch block ofsaid latch being located in the channel and comprising an elevatedportion with respect to the web of the channel, said elevated portionbeing located on the web toward the inside of the channel and beingbeveled on its front end with the beveled surface sloping outwardlytoward the back end of the latch, said beveled surface being engageableby a prong of the catch frame when the prong References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 530,862 Teed Dec. 11, 18942,867,024 Sepe Jan. 6, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,155,303 France Apr. 25,1956

